Simple Rose
by Lycoris Calantha
Summary: Because Drew and May travelling together isn't without it's ups and downs. ContestShipping.


**I DREW DREW**! Yay! … Well, something about me is that I absolutely can't draw guys. In fact, when me and my friends hated Athrun Zala from Gundam SEED in Gundam SEED Destiny, I drew him, (or at least, made a pitiful attempt to,) and we laughed a lot. 'Cause he looked like a girl.

The other person I drew remotely guy-like is Rhaine from Fairy Seeker (Sasuke from Naruto was kinda okay too). Neji from Naruto and Chrno from Chrno Crusade were fine. Until I drew the eyes. Then they looked like girls. But Drew was almost perfectly fine, so I'm happy.

Disclaimer: If I owned Pokémon, Misty would STILL be traveling with Ash. I miss Misty being there! … anyhow…

_**I really appreciate your mental support, but sadly, I am NOT exactly a psychic… Too bad… Can you write it down in a review? **_

According to the Tickle test, I'm quite intuitive. That's it.

_**THE REASON FOR POSTING THIS, ALONG WITH OTHER STORIES, IS FOR MY CAT. WHO, LIKE HIS BROTHER, HAVE HOPEFULLY GONE TO HEAVEN! Please pray for them...**_

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He supposed it was obvious by now…

I mean, who goes around chucking their rivals _flowers_?

Much less, roses.

_Red_ roses.

I mean normal rivals hurl insults at each other.

So… they did do that occasionally…

… The roses…

To his surprise, it wasn't the case.

It went on to the point where she didn't ask for a reason of why he'd chuck her one… and even mistaken the one Brianna sent as a letter to be from him.

But still…

'_We're rivals… May and I…' _

They were, but now…

Was that even an excuse anymore?

… They were traveling together.

He, (and everyone else, for that matter), thought she'd journey somewhere else… another region.

But then, she just randomly popped up at a contest in Johto.

He wasn't shocked…

As Harley_ graciously_ put it, he just looked like he'd seen a _ghost_.

Two people, Soledad and Harley, to be exact, said that he had fallen for her.

Actually, Soledad said that.

Harley immediately concluded that there was something going on between them.

'_I sense something romantic going on here.'_

'…_if your boyfriend had kept his trap shut.'_

… Harley was definitely a pain.

It's been two years now… Two different Grand Festivals… they still stuck together.

_**Flashback (This didn't really happen)**_

"_Hey Drew!" Drew turned, surprise on his face. (This was where Harley commented that he looked like he'd seen a ghost.)_

"_Hi… May."_

"_You look down, something wrong?"_

"_Nah…"_

"_May! It's absolutely wonderful to see you!"_

"_Er… Hi Harley…"_

"_When did you arrive? Did you register yet? Do you have a Contest pass now?"_

"_Uh… a few hours ago; Yes; Yes…"_

"_Oh that's great! Are you traveling with your… friends again?"_

"_If I was, you'd see them by now."_

"_Oh, you're traveling alone then! Then you simply must go with Drew…"_

_With that Harley managed to hold a dialogue single handedly, managed to get May to agree without her speaking, and got Drew to permit her to travel with him while Drew didn't say anything and continually glared at him._

_That finished, he managed a vanishing act. _

_May and Drew stared at each other blankly._

"_I'm really sorry… but it's easier to travel together."_

"_You'd just slow me down."_

"_EXCUSE me, but if I'm such a burden, then maybe you'd prefer–"_

"_It's fine."_

"– _then I may as well be… what?"_

"_You're still as slow as ever, huh? I said it was fine."_

"_Really? Thanks Drew!"_

From a corner…

"_Yes, they'll be traveling together."_

"_That's great! Thanks… Sorry for putting you through this…"_

"_If we let them be, theirs is a relationship that will be forever on the 'Kindergarten' level."_

_An amused laugh, "I suppose… Thanks again… Harley."_

_**End Flashback**_

That Grand Festival, they met Soledad again.

She gave away the fact that she knew they were traveling together… and attempted to cover by saying that Harley had mentioned it when they met at a contest a while back.

May had bought it, Drew didn't.

"Hey Drew, are you still there? Are you alive? Drew!"

"What?"

"You weren't moving for so long…"

"Normal people check for the presence of breath or for a pulse, but I suppose you can't do that, can't you?"

"_Drew_!"

"It's only the truth!"

"Hey, Drew?"

"What is it now?"

"Where did you get those roses you kept on giving me?"

"…"

"Well, people who travel don't usually have an endless supply of roses, you know…"

Silence.

"What do you do, bring a rose bush with you or something?"

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"May? Is that you?" Someone, presumably a trainer, inquired. "That _is _you, right Drew?"

"Umm… Who are you?"

"Is that the way you treat your brother after two years?"

"Max!"

"It took you that long to recognize me?"

"I wasn't able to get home… and I haven't seen you in so long… What do you think?"

Max smiled, it had been a while… but wait... "You forgot me? Your own little brother? You forgot me didn't you! May!"

Drew smirked at the scene; Two siblings chasing each other... Always an amusing sight.

May panted for breath. "Max…"

He paused. "What?"

"I'm hungry!"

"Does Drew starve you or something?"

"No! I'm just hungry."

"Just go ahead, then," he laughed when she ran of into the distance, a cloud of dust behind her. Anything for food.

His face became serious when she left.

"Drew."

Drew turned to face him.

"You will take care of her, right?" 

"What?" His face was perfectly blank. Too blank.

"You know what I mean."

Drew sighed. "I will."

"If you hurt her, I will make you pay."

"I know…"

"She doesn't know, does she?"

"No."

"Nothing?"

"Yes."

"Then the reason she was… is… traveling with you?"

"It was a setup."

Max sighed, "Harley again?"

Drew nodded wordlessly.

"… I trust you."

Drew glanced at him in surprise and nodded.

"How did you find out?"

"I'm not like my sister. Roses, especially red ones, are too obvious. Especially if you're going to go around chucking them into your rival's face."

A pause.

"Did she ask for a reason?"

"For what?"

"The roses."

"She asked me where I kept them, that's all."

"… that sounds like her."

Both of them laughed.

"Don't hurt her."

"I know… You have nothing to worry about."

"No? Why?"

"Unlike Harley, she didn't trust me."

Max chuckled. "That's true."

"MAX! DREW! LET'S GO SO WE CAN EAAAAT!" May screamed from the Pokémon Center… Which was a reasonable distance from where they were… making their way to the Pokémon Center to get a room for the night, and then get to some café or the other May will drag them to.

Drew winced, Max chuckled at his expression.

May started chatting as they ate, the two males barely paying attention. That was when she noticed something.

"Drew, are you wearing earplugs?"

No answer.

"DREW! YOU JERK! HOW COULD YOU WEAR EARPLUGS WHILE EATING!" 

Drew stared boredly at her. He removed the earplugs. "Did you say something, May?" 

Max could do nothing but laugh. Not that he had a choice. And if he did, he still would have wanted to.

May gritted her teeth. "How. Could. You. Wear. Earplugs. While. Eating."

"The same way I've been doing it until you... very rudely, may I add... interrupted me."

Max was in hysterics.

"How could you!" 

"How_ couldn't_ I?"

Max gasped for air. Drew and May looked at him, concern on why his face was a rather unhealthy shade of red.

"Max, are you okay?"

"Is... this... what it's like... traveling with each other?

"More or less, yeah."

**-♥****-****♥****-****♥****-**

May and Drew waved goodbye to Max. Actually, May was doing the waving. Drew was exchanging a meaningful look with him.

Max turned as he continued his journey.

_**Take care of her... Drew.**_

_**FIN**_

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Please review, I'm pretty much on _**emotional breakdown**_ now...

Ming-ming and Ming-ming... I'm sorry we never got around to giving you real names.

We love you two, rest in peace... I'm really sorry.


End file.
